


the rarity of my genuine smile

by hollowboness



Series: wear your silver lining [3]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Apocalypse, Scottish Cottage Fic, jfc tagging is hard, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23193799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollowboness/pseuds/hollowboness
Summary: When they’d arrived at the safe house, it was one of the first things they noticed. It was cute, just a small brick fireplace, nestled into the corner of the surprisingly homely living room.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims
Series: wear your silver lining [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1660045
Comments: 6
Kudos: 86





	the rarity of my genuine smile

**Author's Note:**

> (unbeta-ed because I still don't have someone to beta my fics oops)
> 
> as always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome, as are long comments!
> 
> title from intertwined by dodie

When they’d arrived at the safe house, it was one of the first things they noticed. It was cute, just a small brick fireplace, nestled into the corner of the surprisingly homely living room. It didn’t take Jon too long to find a small shack outside, with a couple of piles of firewood inside it.

The Scottish weather was often rainy, and not often warm, so more often than not, Jon and Martin would light a fire to warm the house. They’d keep it fed from a bit past noon until they went to bed, it became a bit of a tradition, Jon would go out and grab the wood and start the fire while Martin would make them both tea. They did this most days, save for the rare few when the sun actually shone and it wasn’t too cold.

Neither of them had thought too much about what they would do once the small stock of wood ran out, but seeing as the safehouse had no proper heating system, they would have to do something.

***

One day, Jon went out to grab wood for a fire. The rain wasn’t too bad, barely a drizzle, but he could see thick stratocumulus clouds on the horizon, indicating a coming storm. He got to the shed and pushed open the door, only to see it empty, aside from 3 large logs in the corner, far too big to be used in the fireplace.

The front door closed loudly behind him as he re-entered the safehouse.

“Back already? Usually takes you longer than this,” Martin called from the kitchen.

“Well, you see,” Jon walked into the kitchen and held up his empty hands for Martin to see, “The shed’s empty.”

“The sheds empty?”

“Well not empty empty, but there’s no wood small enough for the fireplace.”

“Oh, but there’s wood?”

“Yea a few big logs, why?”

“Well I could just chop it smaller if there’s an axe,” Martin said as he looked out the window at the rain.

“But what about the rain?”

“It’ll be fine, look it’s just about gone anyway,”

“There’s still going to be a storm later, this is just the calm before it,” Jon murmured

“Yes well, that’s why I should chop the wood now,”

Jon sighed but made no effort to stop Martin, who was already walking towards the door. He instead moved to look out the window, choosing a spot where he could comfortably drink the tea Martin had made and still be able to see the shed. To his surprise, the sun was out.

‘God the weather here is odd’ he thought to himself

He let his mind absently wander, thinking about the hunters, not-Sasha, Basira, there was a lot to think about. A loud thud noise broke his train of thought, and he looked up to see that Martin had dragged a stump of wood from near the shed to a more open area. He watched, somewhat fascinated as Martin went about getting set up, hauling the 3 large logs out from the shed and setting one on top of the stump, balancing it before going back the shed and leaving with an axe. Jon hadn’t noticed that despite the countless times he’d been in the shed. He distantly remembered the axe that sat in the extra room of the archives.

Martin knocked on the glass of the window, Jon looked at him quizzically before opening it.

“My sweater, no need for it, not with the sun shining like it is,” Martin said, handing his sweater to Jon through the small opening.

“Oh.. yea, right,” Jon said absently, distracted by the way Martins plain white undershirt hugged his body and rode up ever so slightly, exposing a bit of his stomach, and the soft hair that covered it.

Martin nodded thanks to Jon and returned to the stump of wood, picking the axe up from where he’d lain it on the ground and readying himself to chop the log that stood before him.

Jon could feel his face flushing as we watched Martin, there was nothing to be blushing about and yet he still was, maybe it was way the muscles in Martin’s arms flexed every time he swung the axe down, or maybe the way he seemed so sure of what he was doing, maybe Jon just liked watching his very attractive boyfriend do things, who knows.

Regardless, Jon knew his face was still embarrassingly red when Martin came back inside after storing the cut wood in the shed, with a few smaller logs under his arm. Martin smiled at Jon, then went about setting up the fire, first using small pieces to form a box, then lighting it and waiting until it was properly alight to begin adding some of the smaller chopped logs.

Jon came into the living room with his half drank tea in one hand and Martin’s tea in the other, setting them both down on the coffee table.

“Didn’t know you could do that” Jon said quietly

“Well, it’s not hard, Jon, I just figured, well, no offence, but I figured you’re a bit too spindly to be cutting wood.”

“Well, you’re not wrong” Jon sighed “and I did quite enjoy watching you chop wood” 

He’d said the last part under his breath, hoping Martin would miss it. Of course, Martin doesn’t. He turns around to face Jon, a curious smirk playing at his lips.

“What was that?”

Jon feels his face flush a million shades redder than it already is.

“... uh, n-nothing,”

“No, no you said you liked watching me chop wood?”

“Alright, ok maybe I did…” he sheepishly admits

Martin chuckles at him, a warm sound, devoid of any teasing.

“Why?”

“I don’t know it… I guess… ok. Well, first of all, you’re attractive, Martin.” he says, matter-of-factly, “and I like to look at pleasant things. And, well you’re strong, physically. Even if you never show it. It’s a little comforting to see just how buff my lovely partner is, maybe even to imagine myself wrapped in those strong arms.”

Jon says the last part more quietly, looking down at his tea, embarrassed. He doesn’t notice Martin coming across the room and kneeling in front of him where he sits on the couch until his chin is being gently tilted up by Martin’s big hand.

“Thank you, Jon. And if you want to be wrapped in my ‘strong arms’,” he pulls his hand away from Jon’s face to do air quotes, letting it rest on Jon’s thigh afterwards “then all you have to do is ask.”

Jon anxiously bites his lip before speaking,

“Well, then can I? Be wrapped up in your arms, that is,” he says a little awkwardly.

“After I shower. I’m all sweaty,” Martin says with a laugh.

Jon laughs quietly as well, kissing Martin gently before he goes to shower, leaving Jon alone on the couch.

***

It doesn’t take Martin long to shower, and within less than 30 minutes, he’s back in the living room, smelling of his body wash with his hair still damp. He sits down next to Jon, who pauses his podcast (some philosophy thing, Martin doesn’t understand how he listens to it, but he does.) and puts down his knitting. Martin settles in beside Jon, kissing his temple.

“Now you’ve showered, can we please cuddle?”

“Of course.”

Martin and Jon adjust themselves so Jons back is pressed against Martin’s chest, and Martin wraps his arms around Jon. The two of them talk about all manner of things, indulging in debates and deep conversations alike.

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this Tumblr post: https://magpod-boness.tumblr.com/post/612853495132012544/everchased-im-glad-were-all-in-agreement-that
> 
> check me out on Tumblr! https://hollow-boness.tumblr.com/ (or my tma sideblog: https://magpod-boness.tumblr.com/)


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